Mississippi Highway Patrol officers are riding shotgun in trucks this week.
According to Mississippi News Now, the troopers are riding along with truck drivers this week to catch aggressive drivers.
“We usually have troopers scattered out in a 9 mile radius. If you drive wreck less around the truck, you pull in front of it without a turn signal, get in front of it and slam on brakes, follow too close, the trooper in the truck is going to radio your description tag number,” Mississippi State Trooper Capt. Scott Carnegie told Mississippi News Now.
Troopers have focused their efforts on five counties in the state that have the highest number of truck accidents. Â Troopers issued 700 tickets and 692 citations.
“Were here to save lives that’s all this programs about is to make the trucking industry work with the law enforcement industry to work together, to meet one goal that is to get from point a to point B without a fatality,” Carnegie said.
When troopers spot an aggressive driver, they radio ahead to another officer who then pulls over the aggressive driver. Â The troopers often educate the driver on how to drive safely around trucks.
“200 feet seems like a lot but that’s what it takes for one of those trucks to stop when they’re weighing out at 80,000 pounds. Yes as much room as you can give em. It’s not worth anyone’s life to save two minutes,” Carnegie said.
The program is funded through a grant from the FMCSA.